China attacks EU statement

BEIJING, March 31 (UPI) -- China has expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with the European Union's weekend statement on Tibet.

The 27 EU foreign ministers meeting in Slovenia expressed concern regarding the Tibetan unrest stemming from demonstrations against Chinese rule of their homeland, and called for talks between China and Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since 1959.

"The Tibet issue is completely China's internal affairs. No foreign countries or international organizations have the right to interfere in it," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"We strongly hope the EU and its member states (will) make a clear distinction between right and wrong, explicitly condemn the violent crimes of beating, smashing, looting and burning and all those offenders, and avoid taking double standards," the Chinese spokeswoman said.

She said the EU should not send a wrong signal to the international community and "the Dalai clique" and encourage the Tibetan secessionists in their violent crimes.

China has blamed the Dalai Lama for the Tibetan unrest. The Tibetans have denied those allegations and called for dialogue with Beijing.

Xinhua reported all those accused of "major arson cases" in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, where the protests began March 10, had been arrested.